Hasselbaink: Lets get some joy and pride

JIMMY Floyd Hasselbaink doesn’t want his players to think too much about what happened in our last league game at Loftus Road – but he doesn’t want them to forget about it either!

As QPR prepare to take on Birmingham City at Loftus Road for their first home league game since the 6-0 loss to Newcastle United, the R’s chief said: “We are playing at home and we know what happened in our last home match in the league.

“We don’t want to dwell on that but we also don’t want to forget it.

“We want to make sure in this game that we get ourselves some joy and some pride.”

It certainly won’t be easy for QPR as they face an in-form Blues side who have yet to lose on their travels this season. And ten points from their last four fixtures – including impressive wins over Norwich City and Sheffield Wednesday – underlines the quality Hasselbaink and Co. will face in W12.

“Every Championship game is tough, and Birmingham is no different in this,” said the QPR boss.

“They have made a really good start. They play a little bit different to last year, so it is going to be an interesting game.

“They are set up really well to be able to hurt other teams. They are in a good moment, a good place, and that helps them. In that aspect, it won’t be easy.”

With four goals in their last four games, Clayton Donaldson is in sparkling form right now, and Hasselbaink acknowledges the Blues’ major threat comes through the 32 year-old frontman.

“They play a lot off him, he is their focal point,” Hasselbaink said. “He likes to be the lone striker, up there terrorising centre-halves – and he is very good at it.

“From there they have central midfielders running off him. In the wide areas they have Che Adams who plays off the striker or wide, and he is doing well. They also have Jacques Maghoma, who is really in his stride at the moment. But it isn’t just about individuals for Birmingham, it is about their team as a unit, they have a strong collective.

“The dynamics are good, working well and that is their strength.”

As the R’s bid to get back to winning ways, Hasselbaink has urged the R’s fans to play their part.

“Birmingham will bring a lot of supporters themselves so we need to overpower them,” he said. “It will help the boys if we do this.

“The atmosphere will be important, and if we can do that in our home matches, we can make Loftus Road our fortress.”